


Steal My Heart for Christmas

by missjedi81



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: 404 Error Kylo Ren Not Found, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Romance, Christmas fic, F/M, No Smut, Pickpockets, based on a TV Christmas movie from the 90's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:21:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28219872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missjedi81/pseuds/missjedi81
Summary: Rey Andor and her young niece, Jyn, are pickpockets. When they get caught in the First Order department store on Christmas Eve, security guard Ben Solo is forced by his employer to take them home and watch them over the holidays so they can be taken into custody the day after Christmas
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	1. Just a Couple of Pickpockets

**Author's Note:**

> I'm finally posting my Christmas fic! Totally inspired by an old? (90's) TV Christmas movie called "On the 2nd Day of Christmas." Some scenes and lines are straight from the movie, though I did change some details. I just thought it was so perfectly "translated" to Reylo as is. I'm sure there are things that might be inaccurate portrayals about how some things work (but only in the way they were portrayed in the movie), but I ask you to suspend reality just a bit and try to enjoy the story for what it is. 
> 
> I can't promise it will be completed before Christmas, but hoping before New Year's at least. I don't expect to to be terribly long. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the story and Happy Holidays!

It was just 2 days before Christmas and New York City was in full holiday swing where a little girl with blond hair scurried across the sidewalk, burrowing her way through the crowd.  
A middle aged man paused just after the little girl elbowed past him. He furrowed his brows and absentmindedly patted his coat pocket, where he knew his wallet should be. Finding nothing there, he frantically checked his other pocket then looked back toward the direction the girl had gone.  
“Hey you!” he shouted after her, shuffling his way against the current of commuters to chase after her. She started walking faster, bit by bit, finally breaking onto a run as he closed in on her. She ran right past two police officers who looked at her curiously, until the man's shouts spurred them into following her as well.  
Finally, her sprint was broken as she collided with a woman in a tan burbury coat, with sunglasses and a scarf over her head.  
“Oh, Darling, are you alright?” the woman asked in a British accent, as the man and officers finally caught up with them.  
“Those men are chasing me,” the little girl said tearfully.  
“That little—urchin stole my wallet!” the man told the officers. The two officers looked uncertain how to proceed.  
“I didn't,” the little girl wailed.  
“Yeah, well you should search her,” the man said. “I think you'll find I'm right.”  
“Shame on you!” the young woman said. “Three grown men terrorizing a little girl in this manner! You ought to be ashamed of yourselves!”  
“Look, lady, we're just trying to do our jobs,” one of the officers protested. He turned to the little girl. “Hey Sweetheart. My name is Officer Dameron. Now, I need you to tell the truth. Did you take this man's wallet? If you did, and you give it back now, I promise you won't get into any trouble. Ok?”  
“I didn't steal anything!” she insisted.  
“How come you ran away, huh?” he asked.  
“A man was chasing me!” the little girl said. “My mommy always told me if a man tries to follow me I should run away as fast as I can and kick him in the nuts if he catches up.” His partner couldn't help but let out a snort of amusement and the other man took a step back.  
“And where is your mommy now?” the Officer Dameron asked. “Maybe we should talk to her.”  
“She's dead,” the little girl said tearfully, eliciting a chorus of “Aws” from the crowd who had begun to gather to speculate.  
“I don't believe her!” the middle aged man explained. “She's lying! Check her pockets!”  
“Ok,” the officer sighed. “Sweetheart, I need to you to turn out your pockets for me, alright? Can you do that?”  
The little girl turned her jacket pockets inside out, revealing nothing. For good measure, she unzipped her jacket and turned out her pants pockets as well.  
“She doesn't have anything,” officer Dameron said to the man, who scowled. “Look, Sir. I can't just take this child into custody with no cause. I can't do an thing without the wallet. She clearly does not have your wallet on her.”  
“Can I go now?” The little girl asked.  
“Sure kid,” he said. “You can go. You be careful out on these streets, huh?” The girl hurried off, to the protest of the man who accused her of stealing. But was prevented from following her from the two officers.  
They didn't notice her dodge into a nearby alley, where she met the young woman with the tan coat and sunglasses.  
“That was a close one, Aunt Rey,” the little girl said.  
“You're right,” replied the young woman called Rey. Holding up the man's wallet. “Let's see if it was worth it. So what do you think? 55?”  
“A little older,” the little girl answered. “I say 61.” Rey smiled and opened the wallet and pulled out the driver's license.  
“Wow, kid, you're better at this than I am,” she said. “62 it is. Wow. Mr. Enric Pryde might be a right wanker, but he doesn't look to bad for his age. Now, let's see what kind of cash he was carrying on him.” She pulled out the cash and counted it. “Wow, $672. We might actually make our rent next month. Maybe even pay the electric.”  
“Can we go eat at Maz's Diner now?”  
“Yes,” Rey replied. “We've had a great day. Now, let's go get some burgers and shakes and plan for tomorrow.” 

****************************************************************************************************************************************************

“Aunt Rey,” the little girl said. “If Santa sees me when I'm sleeping and when I'm awake, that means he sees me when I'm stealing too, right?” Rey pressed her lips together.  
“Well, Jyn, I don't think Santa really minds because what we do isn't actually stealing.”  
“It isn't?”  
“No, we only steal from people who can afford it,” Rey rationalized. “We sort of help them—share.”  
“But didn't they work for their money?” Jyn asked.  
“We're working too,” Rey said. “We have highly developed skills that have taken years to perfect.” She puntuated this with a wink to her niece. “Now eat your burger.”  
“Okay,” Jyn said, returning to her meal.  
“Oh no,” Rey groaned, looking out the diner window at a very shady looking Santa being pursued by 2 men. “Please don't let him see me.” She slouched lower in the booth, earning a confused look from her niece, who now had brown hair, having removed the hat and wig she'd sported earlier.  
“Who's that?” she asked.  
“Someone I hoped never to see again,” Rey replied. Rey's wish of remaining undetected was not granted, as the shady Santa rushed into the diner to escape his pursuers. The man spotted her and header her direction.  
“Rey, girl?” he exclaimed. “Is that you?”  
“I'm sorry, Sir,” Rey replied with an innocent expression. “Do I know you?” The man chuckled.  
“Come now,” he said. “Is that any way to treat your old foster father? You were always my best student.”  
“I wasn't your student, Plutt,” Rey said waspishly. “I was a child you took advantage of.”  
“Ah, and I see you've gone all honest now, eh?” Plutt said, glancing at the kid. “Who's this? I don't recall you being knocked up when you left me,”  
“Don't tell him anything,” Rey told her niece quietly.  
“Say, little girl,” Plutt spoke to Jyn in a calojing voice. “I've got a little project you can help me with and you can earn a whole hundred dollars! It's a perfect job for a little girl like you. Real easy. What do you say?”  
“Absolutely not!” Rey said, standing up and leading her niece away by the hand. “You stay away from us, Unkar Plutt! Whatever it is, we want nothing to do with it!”  
“You can't hide from me, girl!” Plutt called after her. Rey ignored him and she and her niece walked out of the diner.


	2. Caught in the Act

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Jyn's next job doesn't go exactly as planned.

Ben Solo watched the crowd of shoppers at First Order Department store with vigilant apathy. December was simultaneously the most boring and the most stressful time of the year at the store.

Ben never hated his job as a department store security guard more than just before Christmas.

And seeing all the happy couples and families just made it worse. This was his latest thought as he watched a little with blond hair and a puffy blue jacket walk by with—who?

Actually, she didn't appear to be with anybody. Now, that was strange. What would a child be doing in the cosmetics department alone?

As he walked in her direction, a woman suddenly bumped into him. He reflexively grabbed her elbows to steady her, lest she should fall from the encounter.

“Sorry,” he said. The woman seemed quite young and he couldn't help but notice she was very beautiful, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

“Quite alright,” she said breathily. He loosened his grip and watched her walk over to a table of handbags, where she began absently turning it around in her hands while she glanced around in a not altogether non-suspicious manner.

“Mitaka,” Ben said into his radio, “I got a possible situation in handbags. Standby.” Then he saw the little girl hovering behind a display of cosmetics watching a man in a black trenchcoat talking to the lady behind the perfume counter.

She glanced the direction of the brunette woman he'd bumped into and scratched her nose. The woman responded by tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a slight nod. Ben spoke into the radio. “Got a brunette female, tan coat. I'll stick with her. The other, blue coat, blond hair, age—7? In cosmetics. You see her?”

“Yeah,”Mitaka responded. “But come on, Solo. She's a kid.”

The little girl began walking and bumped right into the man in the trenchcoat.

“I'm sorry,” she said innocently before walking on, right into the arms of the brunette woman.

“My wallet!” the man in the trenchcoat began to exclaim half a minute later.

Before the suspects could scurry away, Ben and Mitaka descended on them.

“Gotcha!” Ben said, grabbing the young woman by the arm, while Mitaka aprehended the child, pulling off her blond wig in the process. Ben took the wallet from the young woman.

“My wallet!” the man exclaimed.

“I found that,” the young woman protested. “It was right on the floor. I was going to take it up to the counter!”

“Alright,” Ben said, tugging her with him. “You're coming with us.”

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

“Like, I said,” Rey said as they entered the security office. “I just found it on the floor. I was picking it up.”

“Sure,” Ben said. “Likely story. Name?”

“I don't have to answer anything, right?” Rey asked, glancing at the other security guard.

“It will go easier on you if you cooperate,” Mitaka replied.

“Fine,” Rey said. “Rey Andor. This is my niece, Jyn Ponto.”

“Where's her mother?” Ben asked.

“Dead,” Rey responded.

“Father?”

“Might as well be,” Rey muttered.

“Are you her legal guardian?”

“Yes,” Rey said.

“Age?”

“Eight,” Rey said.

“Not her,” Ben said irritably. “You.”

“Twenty one,” Rey replied.

“Aren't you ashamed of yourself?” Ben asked.

“Fine, I'm twenty.”

“What kind of life is this for a kid?”

“Oh and what makes your life so special, picking on people just trying to make a living?” Rey retorted.

“You call this a living?” Ben asked.

“It's a skill set we've worked very hard to develop,” Jyn piped in.

“Jyn,” Rey said with a small shake of the head and an uncomfortable look. The phone rang and Mitaka answered.

“They want them up in Snoke's office,” Mitaka said.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

Ben ushered Rey and Jyn into the office of Alistair Snoke, the owner and CEO of the department store, where a red headed police officer stood.

“The cops?” Rey exclaimed, eyes widening in fear as she stepped back. She looked at the man sitting behind a very large, expensive-looking desk. He was old, thin and bald and appeared to have perpetual scowl on his face.

“Hey Solo,” the offier said. “How's your brother?”

“You tell me, Hux,” Ben replied. “You see him more than I do.”

“Are you seriously pressing charges?” Rey demanded.

“Of course I am!” Snoke said. “I can't have people like you getting away with things like this. Not in _my_ store!”

“I didn't get away with anything!” Rey protested. “I found a wallet and picked it up. Nobody got hurt! I didn't do anything wrong!”

“You didn't tell me there was a kid involved,” Hux interjected. “That's a whole nother issue. I'll have to call social services.”

“Single mother, I'll bet, on welfare,” Snoke said with a sneer.

“I've never been on welfare,” Rey protested.

“That's what's wrong with this world,” Snoke went on. “I most certainly am pressing charges, and if I have my way, this child will be put into a good home, away from the influence of a common thief like you.”

“No!” Jyn cried.

“Oh, I could tell you all about what would happen to this poor child if she were put in the system,” Rey said venomously. “Most of us don't get adopted. We get pimped out to the so-called “foster parents” who want to use us for free labor while we starve and are left to fend for ourselves!”

“Us?” Ben said, with a slight tinge of pity. Rey pressed her lips together as she glanced at him, seeming to realize she'd said too much.

“Social services isn't answering,” Hux said. “They've already closed for the holidays. Look, if I take them in now, they're gonna separate them and the little girl is gonna spend Christmas in custody. Is that what you want?”

“Look, I don't care what happens to me,” Rey said. “But please don't do this to her.”

“You want my advice?” Hux asked. “We look the other way and let 'em walk. It is Christmas after all.” Snoke seemed to ponder this for a moment.

“Well, don't let anyone say Alistair Snoke doesn't get into the Christmas spirit,” Snoke said. “Officer, come back at 9 am the morning after Christmas. You can arrest them then.”

“What?” Rey exclaimed.

“Well, Mr. Snoke—” Ben started.

“How are you gonna get them to show up?” Hux asked. “Ask them nicely?”

“Well,” Snoke said. “One of my employees will look after them. You!” He pointed at Ben. “Take them home with you. Watch them over the holidays and make sure they're here 9 am on the 26th.”

“Me?” Ben explained. “Sir, it is a holiday—”

“Yes, yes,” Snoke said “You'll be paid holiday pay. Maybe an extra Christmas bonus thrown in.”

“It's not about the money,” Ben protested. “With all due respect this is more than a little above and beyond.” Snoke turned to his assistant.

“Is this man seasonal or permanent?” he asked.

“Permanent, Sir,” the assistant replied.

“Good,” Snoke said, looking at Ben. “I'd like to see him stay that way. Understand?”

Oh yes. Ben understood alright.


	3. Prejudice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey tries to bribe Ben to let them go and Ben's learns a little bit about Rey's childhood.

“This is absolute rubbish,” Rey said as the three of them returned to the main floor. Ben tried not to notice how her accent made her twice as adorable. He should not be attracted to this thief. He should _not!_ And _how_ was he going to survive the next two days under the same roof of her?

“Yeah, tell me about it,” was the only response he could manage. He pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket.

“Seriously?” Rey said. “We're not gonna run.”

“Sure,” Ben said. “And I believe in Santa Clause.”

“So do I!” said Jyn.

“So what's gonna take for you to look the other way?” Rey asked. “A hundred dollars? Three hundred?”

“You think everyone can be bought, don't you?” Ben said. “I'm not for sale.”

“Hmm, too bad,” Rey said, reaching up to stroke the collar of his jacket. “Cause I'd totally buy you.” Ben swallowed thickly, willing himself not to respond. “Okay, $5000 dollars and you let us walk. How's that?”

“You make that kind of money picking pockets?” Ben asked her, surprised.

“So you'll take it?”

“No!” Ben said. “And you're full of it.”

“Well, maybe I wish I were,” Rey said in a low voice with a suggestive smirk as Ben placed one cuff on her wrist before fastening the other on his own. “I can think of a better use for these handcuffs, too.” Ben closed his eyes at the innuendo.

“Oh so, so you're whoring yourself out now? What's that? Your night job?” The words were out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying and he was promptly rewarded with a sharp slap across the face.

“How _dare_ you!” Rey exclaimed. “You don't know anything about me!”

“You're right,” Ben said. “I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry.” Rey just glared at him and shook her head. “Come on,” he said, leading Rey out of the building with Jyn following behind.

“Where are we going?” Rey asked.

“My place,” Ben responded. “It's only a few blocks away.”

“No no,” Rey said. “We're not spending the night at a strange apartment without at least getting Jyn's pajamas and toothbrush.”

“Fine,” Ben said.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************

“Do you even feel the least bit guilty?” Ben asked as they walked up to Rey and Jyn's apartment. “Are you even sorry?”

“I'm sorry we got caught,” Rey replied. “Christmas is supposed to be a time of compassion. Don't you feel the least bit sorry for us?”

“Hey, you chose a life of crime,” Ben replied. “You have to live with the consequences.”

“A life of crime?” Rey said. “We're not members of Crimson Dawn. So we pick a few pockets of people who can afford it.”

“We never steal from the poor,” Jyn added. “We only take cash, not credit cards, and we always send the wallets back.”

“Oh, that's just great,” Ben said. “A real upstanding citizen you're raising here.”

“Oh, what would you know about raising a kid?” Rey demanded. “Do _you_ have children? Oh no, you don't have, like, a wife and kids at home do you?”

“No,” was Ben's terse reply. His jaw twitched, which Rey knew meant something she'd said had hit a little too close to home.

Rey scoffed as they arrived at her door and she dug her keys out.

“Ok Jyn, go get your bathroom stuff and Pjs and and something to wear tomorrow,” Rey said.

“Aunt Rey,” Jyn said. “I just thought of something. If weren't not home, how will Santa know how to find us? How will he know where to take my bike? And if our stockings are here...”

“Don't worry, Darling,” Rey said. “Santa will know where to find us. He knows everything. Why don't you get our stockings too? We'll take them with us.” She turned to Ben. “Mr. Solo? Can I talk to you in the other room for a moment?” Ben raised his eyebrows, but followed her into the other room.

“Your bedroom?” Ben said after she said the door. “You're not trying to seduce me again, are you? Last time that happened I got a hard slap across the face.”

“Look, Ben,” she said, ignoring his last remark. “This may be our last Christmas together. Why don't you just stay here with us? You can keep an eye on us, and Jyn can spend Christmas at home.”

“No!” Ben said. “I got plans tomorrow and you're staying at my apartment, and that's that.” Rey walked over to open her closet door, revealing a bicycle. “Ok, now what am I supposed to do with this? How are we going to sneak this over to your place?”

“Well, we can't,” Ben said. “You're just gonna have to leave it here.”

“Ugh!” Rey groaned in frustration. “I've met some real Scrooges in my time, but you, Sir are the scroogiest.”

“Look, your holiday isn't the only one being disrupted by this,” Ben said. “This certainly isn't how I expected to spend my Christmas.”

“Oh boo hoo,” Rey said. “What happens if your plans get disrupted? Some disappointed family members? At least they'll still be there the next day. Day after tomorrow, the only family I have will be ripped away from me! Ok, so I get locked up for what? A few months? Sure. But do you think they will _ever_ let me see Jyn again? Much less get her back? Who's going to give a 21 year old custody of a child? They don't care that I'm her only living blood relative. Odds are, she won't even get put in a good home. You think _I'm_ doing a crappy job of raising her? Trust me, it's _way_ better than what may be waiting for her out there. I should know. I've lived it.”

“What happened to you, Rey?” Ben asked as Rey turned away to pack her overnight bag. “You keep talking as if you've been in Jyn's place. You were in the system, weren't you? You were in foster care?”

“I was,” Rey said in an even voice, still not looking at him. “If you want to call it that. Plutt was a sleazy old pervert who owned a pawn shop in Jakku called 'Niima Outpost.' Had a foster brother who tried to force himself on me when I was 12. He learned pretty quick not to do it again. Teedo was involved in the more hardcore stuff. Burglary, identity theft...I was younger than Jyn when I started learning the trade. Though _my_ efforts only ever went to enrich him. What we're doing—I'm working to get us _out_ of this life.”

“I'm sorry you went through all that,” Ben said. “But that doesn't make what you're doing ok.”

In reality, Ben was truly horrified at what he'd just heard. He knew from his father and brother that Jakku was one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. He almost shivered to think of Rey living there.

There was a beep from Rey's pocket, and she pulled out her cell phone.

“Speak of the devil,” she muttered. Then louder, to Ben, she said, “Ok, I think we're set. We need to get out of here.”


	4. A Little Domestic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio go back to Ben's apartment for Christmas eve.

“Alright,” Ben said, holding out his hand once they were on the subway to Ben's place. “Give me the keys to your apartment.”

“What?” Rey said. “Sorry, _Ben_ , but I don't think we're quite well aquainted enough for _that_.”

“Haha, very funny,” Ben said. “I'm serious. Give me your keys. That way if you decide to run off you've got nowhere to go.”

“Yeah, because I couldn't possibly go to my landlord to let me in, or stay with a friend. Fine.” With a roll of her eyes, she handed him her keys. “I'm on to you, pal. police academy turned you down, right?”

“How did you know that?” Ben demaded. “Did one of the guys at work say something?”

“You mean I'm right?” Rey said with a gleeful grin.

“Let's just drop it, ok?” Ben said tersely.

“Well that certainly explains a lot,” Rey said with a smirk. “Too bad though. I think you'd look hot in uniform.”

“Ok, you have to stop that,” Ben said. “Just stop!”

“What?” Rey asked innocently.

“You know,” Ben said. “The flirting stuff.”

“The flirting stuff?” Rey repeated with amusement.

“Yes!” Ben hissed. “The thing where you say something suggestive, and I respond, and then you get angry at me, sometimes resulting in me getting hurt. This isn't a game.”

“Yeah, well, I don't know what you expect when you basically called me a whore,” Rey snapped. “I'm a young woman strapped for cash so I _must_ be selling myself, is that it?”

“No, that's not—See, this right here. This is what I'm talking about. You're trying to trip me up. I'm _sorry_ I made that comment. I knew as soon as I said it, I shouldn't have. It was extremely inappropriate. And I might even say I deserved the slap you gave me. At least that's what my mother would have said.”

“Well, she would be right,” Rey said, though her lip twitched. “So what I'm getting is that you think my flirting wasn't serious?”

“Well, I do kind of have you in custody right now,” Ben said. “Why wouldn't you try everything you could to get out of it?”

“Well maybe I just think you're cute.”

“That's a likely story,” Ben said with a sigh.

The train lurched to stop and Rey was thrown into Ben's arms. They were pressed up close together, and if Ben had wanted to, he could close the gap between them with very little effort. Which was an extremely dangerous thought.

“Why aren't you married, Ben?” Rey asked him, barely above a whisper. Ben swallowed.

“It just never worked out,” he replied.

“Are you guys gonna kiss?” Jyn asked with a tone of disgust. Rey stepped back and laughed nervously.

“Oh Jyn, you goofball,” she said.

“No, of course not,” Ben said at the same time.

“I wish we'd been able to meet some other way,” Rey said sadly, looking back at him. “It's really too bad you'll never be able to see me as anything but a common thief.”

******************************************************************************************************************************************

They stopped by the store to get ingredients for chili and sugar cookies, because Rey insisted on it, because that was their Christmas eve tradition and she wanted to keep it as normal as possible for Jyn.

Rey had the cookie dough chilling and the chili on the stove, and while Ben was in the shower, Rey somehow managed to clean out the fire place and get a fire going.

The whole scene was very domestic, and somehow Ben's normally cold and dreary aparment felt warm and inviting, and it was not entirely due to the fireplace.

The whole scene felt a little awkward, yet somehow, very, very right.

It was as if they belonged there. Like they were a family.

Which was ridiculous, of course.

They had only just crashed into his life this morning, uninvited and unwanted. And Rey wasn't a girl he met at a bar, or at work, or a coffee shop, or wherever you met people to date. She was a _criminal_ for crying out loud!

Ben frowned to himself. Even in his thoughts, he was starting to be uncomfortable with calling her that. And it was clear she loved her niece as much as any mother could.

“Ben, come over here!” Rey called out from the kitchen. “I've got you a bowl of chili. And cornbread.” Ben smiled softly to himself as he pushed his negative thoughts aside, just for tonight.

“Aunt Rey makes the best chili,” Jyn informed him as he sat down with his bowl.

“I'm sure she does,” Ben said, smiling at the little girl, before taking a bite. “Wow, this is good. Maybe better than my mom's. But don't tell her I said that.” Rey just laughed.

“I'm glad you like it,” she said. “And after dinner, we can make our sugar cookies. The dough should be about ready.”

Rey, it turned out, was also a very talented baker, and the way she decorated the cookies was almost professional.

“Wow, they're almost too pretty to eat,” Ben said. Rey grabbed a cookie off the plate and took a big bite.

“Suit yourself,” she said, with her mouth full, no less. It should have been terribly unattractive, but Ben actually found it kind of endearing. Not that he would be telling her that. “So what's the plan for tomorrow?”

“I'm supposed to go to my parents' for lunch,” Ben replied. “So I guess that means you guys are coming with me.”

“Oh we're going with you now?” Rey asked. “I thought we were staying locked in your apartment?”

“Yeah, but,” Ben shifted uncomfortably. “That was before.”

“Before what?”

“I don't know. Just—before.” Rey wisely did not press any more, and soon it was time to put Jyn to bed.

Unwanted and uninvited they may have been. But as Ben watched Rey read Jyn 'The Night Before Christmas' and kiss her goodnight, now that they had come into his life, he wondered how he was ever going to let them go.


	5. Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a bit about Rey's background and Ben's family expectations.

“So, what about you?” Rey asked after Jyn had gone to sleep on the pull out sofa. “Do you like your job?”

With the sofa being used as a bed, Rey and Ben were left to make do with the loveseat.

Rey was sitting with her legs tucked up under her, causing her already short sleep shorts to ride up even higher on her shapely legs.

“It's ok,” Ben said, trying hard _not_ to stare at her legs. “I mean, it's not what I always wanted to grow up to be. I always thought I'd be a cop.”

“Like your father?”

“How did you—?”

“The picture on the desk,” Rey said, nodding toward the picture in question.

“Right,” Ben said. “Yeah, my dad was a cop. He's retired now. My brother's on the force, my little sister is in the academy now. My uncles and cousin...”

“So how come you didn't make it?”

“I have astigmatism in my right eye,” Ben answered. “It messes with my depth perception. I was really cut up about it for a while. I'm not sure I'll ever get entirely over it. Everything I'd been working for—just gone.”

“It sounds like maybe it was more what they expected of you than what you wanted,” Rey replied. “What did _you_ want to do?”

“I guess I never really thought much beyond it,” Ben said. “This is just kind of where I ended up.”

“Yeah, it's funny how life does that huh? You make all these plans and then life just happens and decisions are made for you.”

“What about you?” Ben asked. “Your sister—was she with you in foster care? Was this her life too?”

“No, she was actually taken in by her grandmother after my parents died,” Rey said.

“So she was your half sister?”

“Yeah. My mom's name was Jyn Erso. Hadder Ponta was her high school sweetheart. They were going to get married when he got out of the military, but he died in action overseas. She was pregnant with Lyra—my sister—when he left.

“She married my father, Cassian, about 5 years later. I'm 7 years younger than Lyra would be. My parents died in a car wreck when I was 5. Hadder's mom took custody of Lyra. They asked if she wanted to take me as well, but she had health problems and couldn't take care of a young child. Lyra was 12, so she was able to be more help than hindrance to her.

“But you found each other again?” Ben asked.

“She looked me up after her grandmother died,” Rey continued. “I was 15 and she applied for custody of me. Plutt's dealings finally caught up to him and he was arrested and Lyra had a promising job, so she was able to take me in. Jyn was 3 when I came to live with them.”

“Life was really good for a while. I finally had a family, even if it was just the three of us. Lyra taught me how to cook and bake and do all kinds of useful things. Which, by the way, I do a lot of odd jobs while Jyn's in school. It just isn't enough.

“I'm actually _supposed_ to get an inheritance when I turn 21, but I'm not holding my breath.”

“Why's that?” Ben asked.

“Well, my grandfather's lawyer is a right shady piece of work,” Rey replied. “My mother was her father's sole heir, but she died just a year after him, while it was all tied up in probate. My sister ought to have gotten her share when she turned 21, but she never did. Krennic's got it all tied up still. Made her jump through all kinds of hoops to even try and prove she was our mum's daughter, and still nothing.”

“Krennic?” Ben repeated. “As in, Orson Krennic?”

“Yes—you know him?”

“I know _of_ him,” Ben replied. “Shady is an understatement. You _need_ to get a lawyer. I mean, assuming everything you're telling me is true.”

“Oh my gosh, Ben!” Rey said. “I just told you stuff haven't I haven't told anyone else and you don't believe me!”

“I did not say that,” Ben corrected her. “I just said _if_.”

“Yeah, well, maybe my 'state appointed attorney' can help me out with that,” Rey replied, rolling her eyes.

“Maybe we'll get you a better one,” Ben said.

“' _We_?'” Rey repeated. “What do you mean by that? Who's _we_?”

“My family has connections.”

“Right. Because of _course_ they do. And why would you or they care about helping us?” Rey demanded. “I'm nobody. I'm nothing.”

“You're not nothing,” Ben said. “Not to me.”

“Really? And what exactly am I to you, _Benjamin_? A common pickpocket? An orphan? A product of a broken system? Why would you want anything to do with me?”

“I don't care that you're an orphan,” Ben said. “I mean, that doesn't make me think less of you. The pickpocket thing does still bother me a bit, _but_ I also kind of understand now why you do it.”

“You know, I've never actually been caught before,” Rey said. “And I've never really thought about what would happen if we did get caught. It didn't occur to me that I could have Jyn taken away from me. I don't think I could bear to have the one last piece of my sister taken away from me.

“But even more than that, I can't bear for Jyn to think I've abandoned her, the way I felt when my parents died. I didn't understand at first. And I know what it did to Lyra as well, for us to be separated as we were. To think that I could be responsible for allowing the same thing to happen to her precious little girl—” Rey sentence was cut off by the sobs that had been steadily increasing as she spoke.

Ben hesitated, not sure what to do. He tentatively put his hand on her shoulder in an offer of comfort.

Rey was almost an arm's length away, but she moved closer as if magnetically drawn to him.

She laid her head on his chest and he slowly lowered his arm to curl around her, his hand resting lightly on her hip.

It felt like the most natural thing in the world.


End file.
